Reservoir.



PATENTED MAR. 5, 1907. M.l A. MARTIN.

RESERVOIR.

PATENTED MAR. 5,1907.

M. A. MARTIN.

RESERVOIR. APPLIOATION FILED JULY11,1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

MYRON A. MARTIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BEsERvom.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 5, 1907.

'Application led July 11, 1904. Serial No. 216.090.

To @ZZ whom 111': `nfl/ay con/cern.-

Be it known that I, MYRON A. MARTIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Reservoirs, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings.

My invention relates to reservoirs for liqnids, and while it is designedparticularly for use in storing gasolene or other hydrocarbon liquidsfor supplying gasolene-engines of automobiles; &c., it may be apilied toany other pur ose for which it is a apted.

It has or its object to provide a reservoir of such construction thatthe entire contents thereof cannot-be consumed without the operatorfirst receiving warning that his supply of gasolene is getting low, areserve supply being available for use after the operator receivesnotice that the main supply is exhausted. Y

To this end my invention consists in a reservoir comprising a pluralityof tanks-one of which must be filled through the otherin connectionwithmeans for insuring the isola- `tion of the contents of one of saidtanks, so

that the consumption of the liquid in the other does not affect thesupply in the isolated or reserve tank. Thus when the main supply isconsumed the reserve supply will still remain available and can be usedto o erate the engine until a further supply can e secured.

A further improvement consists in providm0* means by which the closureof the C outlet through which liquid is drawn from the re-v serve tankis made a necessary antecedent to the filling of the main tank, therebyinsuring the iilling of the reserve tank before the main tank can befilled. y

Still further improvements consist in placing the reserve tank withinthe main tank and providing for filling the main tank by overiiow fromthe reserve tank, iii-,providing means operatively connecting the valvewhich controls the discharge of the contents of the reserve tank withthe cap or other closure for the inletopening, so that the cap cannot beremoved until the outlet from the reserve tank is closed, and in certaindetails of. construction which will be hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional view illustratinga simple embodiment of my `primary invention. Fig. 2 is a similar viewshowing a form of apparatus embodying all 4the principal features of myinvention. Fig. 3 is a detail of certain parts shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4is a sectional view illustrating a modification. Fig. 5 is a section online 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a sectional view illustrating a furthermodification. Fig. 7 is a section on line 7 7 of Fig. 6, pnd Fig. 8 is asectional detail on line 8 8 of Referring first to Fig. 1, A indicatesthe main tank, and B the reserve tank, which, as therein illi strated,is placed within the main tank, being suspended from the upper portionthereof. C indicates an inlet-opening, which is preferably provided witha rim c, having a cap D. E indicates a duct which extends from theopening O to the upper portion of the reserve tank B, so that liquidsupplied through the opening C necessarily Hows into the reserve tank B.b indicates an opening in the lower portion of the reserve tank B,preferably in the bottom thereof, through which the contents of the tankB may discharge into the main tank A. F inH dicates a valveseated in theopening b and vertically adjistable by a valve-stem f, hav ing at itsupper end a hand-wheel G, by which-the stem may be rotated. As shown,the upper portion of the stem is screwthreaded and is fitted in athreaded bearing H, so lthat by rotating the valve-stem the valve F maybe moved toward or from its seat. I indicates overiow-openings in theupper portion of the reserve tank B, through which liquid in said tankmay flow into the tank A. J indicates an outlet-pipe, through which thecontents ofthe tank A may be discharged for use, as to the carbureter ofa gaso- Iene-engine.

' In the form of apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1 the valve F is firstseated by operating the hand-wheel G, and the reserve tank is thenfilled until it overflows through the openings I into the main tank A,which is filled by the overow. The consrlnption of the supply in themain tank A does not affect the contents of the reserve tank B so longas the IOO valve F is kept closed. When the supply in IIO paratus shownin Fig. 1 While provision is made for filling the main tank through thereserve tank after the reserve tank is first lled' the construction issuch that the prior filling of the reserve tank is not insured, sinceshould the operator fail to close the valve F the main tank would befilled coincidentally with the filling of the reserve tank and noreserve supply would lbe retained in the reserve tank after that in themain tank had been consumed. To avoid any such oversight, I haveprovided an improvement upon the primary invention illustrated in Fig.l, such improvement consisting in means by which the closing of theoutletvalve of the reserve tank is insured before the reservoir can befilled. The forms of apparatus shown in the remaining figures all embodythis feature.

In the construction shown in Fig. 2, A indicates the main tank, and Bthe reserve tank. -The main tank A is provided at the top with anopening C, which is surrounded by a rim c, and the reserve tank B issuspended from the rim c by having its upper edge K upset outwardly, sothat it is adapted to hook over the rim c, as shown. lhe cap D isadapted to screw upon the upper portion of the reserve tank B, as shown,thereby closing the opening C, as well as the upper end of the reservetank. b indicates the opening through which the contents of the reservetank may pass to the main tank. Said opening is provided with a valve F,which is normally held on its seat by a spring L. Said Spring is mountedon the stemf of the valve F', and its upper end bears against across-bar M, hield in place by vertical bars m. The lower end of thespring L bears on the top of the valve F. N indicates a lever, pivotedbetween its ends to the upper end of the valve-stemf in such manner thatit may be turned into alinement with said valvestem or at an anglethereto, as shown in Fig. 2. The stemfl passes through an opening in thecap D', and the lever N is so placed that when turned to its horizontalposition(shown in Fig. 2) it will rest on top of the cap D and will thenhold the valve F off its seat. When the lever N is in alinement withth'e stem f', the valve is permitted to seat itself under the action ofthe spring L. I indicates overfiow-openings in the upper portion of thereserve tank. J indicates the outlet-pipe leading from the main tank A.By this construction when the reservoir is to be filled the cap D mustfirst be removed; but it cannot be removed as long as the lever N is inits horizontal position. Normally the lever N is in the position shownin dotted lines in Fig. 2, and the valve F is on its seat; but when itis desired to use the contents of the reserve tank the valve F must bewithdrawn from its seat, and to do this the stem f is drawn up J and thelever N turned into the position shown in full linesin Fig. 2, therebypreventing the removal of the cap D. It follows that in order to removethe cap D the lever il must be again moved into alinernent with thestemf, and in so doing the valve F is permitted to seat itself, therebyclosing the outlet b. The outlet 5 therefore is always closed when thecap is off, as is the case ,when the reservoir is to be filled. The maintank is filled by overiiow from the reserve tank, as in theVconstruction illustrated in Fig. l

In the construction shown in Fig. 4, A2 indicates the main tank, and B2the 'reserve tank. In this construction also the reserve tank is securedto the roof of the main tank and is provided with an outlet b2 at itslower end. The outlet b2 is closed by a valve F2, provided with a stemf2, which extends up vthrough an opening C2 in the roof of the main tank2 and is provided with a handle G2, by which it may be rotated. Thestemf 2 is provided near its upper end with a lefthand screw-threadedportion O2, which fits in a suitable threaded bearing H2, provided in abracket P2, suitably secured to the top of the main tank A2, as shown.Obviously by rotating the stemf 2 in the proper direction the valve F2may be moved down upon its seat. Above the screw-threaded portion O2 thestem f2 is provided with a ratchet-wheel Q2, which is adapted to heengaged by a pawl R2, carried by a vertically-disposed shaft S2, whichis mounted in the cap D2, which closes the opening C2, being screwedupon the rim c2, the latter being provided with right-handscrew-threads. A spring T2 serves to hold the pawl R2 normally inengagement with the ratchet-wheel I2 indicates overflowopenings in thereserve tank. .I2 indicates the outlet-pipe from the main tank.

The operation is as follows: Assuming the supply in the main. tank tohave been exhausted, the valve F2 is opened by rotating the stem f 2 ina right-hand direction. In order to permit this, the pawl R2 must bemoved out of engagement with the ratchetwheel Q2 by rocking the shaft S2by hand against the action of the spring T2. l/.Vhen it is desiredv tofill the reservoir, the cap D2 is unserewed in the ordinary way, therebyrotating the stern f2 in the same direction through pawl R2 andratchet-wheel Q2. The result is that the stem f 2 is screwed down,moving the valve F2 to its seat and closing the outlet b2. After thevalve is seated the pawl R2 may be moved out of engagement with theratchet-wheel by rocking the shaft S2, as before. The handle G2 isremovable from the stem f 2 to permit the removal ofthe cap D2. Thereserve tank B2 is then filled directly, the main tank being filled bythe overflow, as before described. When the cap is replaced, the valveis not affected, since the pawl R2 is inoperative when the cap is turnedto the right.

IOO

rectingthe gasolene into the reserve tank B3.

1 I3 indicates overflow-openings, and J 3 the out- A the wall of thereserve l block V3. `The notch v3 when the lever G3 is in t let from themain tank. b3 indicates an outlet-pipe extending from a valve F3,through tank B3, so as to discharge into the main tank A3. The valve F3is provided with a vplug U3, which may be rotated to open or closecommunication between the reserve tank B3 and the main tank A3. f3indicates the stem of the plug U3, which extends up through the top ofthe reserve tank B3 and is provided with a lever G3, which extendsoverthe cap D3 and' is adapted to fit into a notch v3 in a retainingis atthe apex of-the retaining device, the sides of which are in'- clinedtoward the edges of the cap, as shown in Fig. 7. The arrangkement issuch that. ve .notch fu3 the valve F3 is open and" at the same time thecap D3 is locked in position. To remove the cap, the lever G3 must beswung to the right or left sufficiently to close the valve F3, therebycutting off communication between the reserve tank B3 and the main tankA3. This construction also, therefore', insures the filling of thereserve tank before the main tank can be filled. n

'In'addition to the forms of apparatus described various otherarrangements. may be made by which the same results can be secured. IWish to be understood, therefore, that lmy invention, genericallyconsidered, is not restricted to the specific forms of apparatusdescribed. n

That which I claim as my invention, and

4 desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A-fuel-tank divided intotwo chambers by a partition and communicatingwith each other at for said tank, a fuel-outlet from the one compartmentpermitting a normal `flow .of fluid therefrom, means to controlv thelower com-- v ing dierent levels, a filling-inlet closurev muncation andmeans coactingwith said controlling means and with the inlet-closurewhereby the closure cannot be removed to refill until the flow betweenthe two compartments is cut off.

2. Means for storing a primary and a secondary supply of fuel, an outletconnection from said storing means normally permitting the primary suply of fuel to flow freely,

meansv whereby t e secondary supply of vfuel4 canbe fed through theoutlet, anintake-openthrough which additional fuel is supplied rovidedwitha closure and locking means or securing the closure and the parts inposition to feed from the secondary supply of fuel, and -means forrestoring the parts to their normal position when the locking means forsecuring the parts in position to feed from the secondary supply of fuelis unlocked and disengaged from the inlet-closure.

3. Means for storing a primary and a secondary supply of fuel, anoutletconnection with the said storing means normally permitting the primarysupply of fuel to iiow freely, an intake-opening through whichadditional fuel is supplied provided with a closure, means whereby thesecondary supply of fuel can be fed through the outlet locking mechanismfor securing the parts in 1posi-y tion to feed from the secondary supp yof fuel, said locking means engaging with the inlet-closure when theparts are locked in position to feed the secondary supply of fuel.

4. Means for storing and feeding liquid fuel, comprising meansfor-storing a primary and a reserve supply of fuel,means which normallypermit the primary supply of fuel to flow freely, means under manualcontrol whereby the reserve 4supply of fuel can be fed through thenormal lsupply means and locking means therefor, an intake-openingthrough which additional fuel is supplied provided with a stopper solocated as to be engaged by the locking means when the manual means islocked to feed the reserve supply and to be out of engagement therewithwhen the manual means is in its normal position.

MYRON A MARTIN. IVitnesses:4

JOHN L. JACKSON, HELEN MCoLLrN.

